I have a 2005 CBR F4i
I want to redo my front brakes
What should I buy?
I heard something about steel brake lines? Can anyone educate me?
Thanks for the info :coffee

J1k

05-16-2007, 08:32 AM

get a set of the ebc HH pads for it or equivalant.Braided lines are more of an upgrade,and will help in the whole stopping catagory.if your doing track days or do alot of heavy braking then i say get a set, but 99&#37; street bikes/riders dont need them.

j

kriestpuncher

05-16-2007, 08:38 AM

r u planning on racing the bike? if not just replace the pads. and rotors if need be. u dont need braided lines unless its time to change a worn or damaged brake line and u want to upgrade. yeah what he said ^

bluenote

05-16-2007, 09:42 AM

can you clarify what you mean by "redo" your brakes?

pads need to be changed when they wear out as regular maintenance.

if this is brought on by behaviour while riding (ie: not braking) then maybe you should describe what we're trying to fix here before we go further..?

Cory

adam112

05-16-2007, 09:47 AM

One often overlooked task is replacing your little air cap with a chrome one.

Small but often deadly over sight.

Take care out there.

boarder

05-16-2007, 09:53 AM

Dont forget fluid, I change out my fluid every year, (but I ride all year) gets rid of that spongy feeling. EBC pads and new fluid will make them feel super, I dont think you'll notice a difference on the braided lines except when you're walking up to the front of ur bike

kriestpuncher

05-16-2007, 10:10 AM

Dont forget fluid, I change out my fluid every year, (but I ride all year) gets rid of that spongy feeling. EBC pads and new fluid will make them feel super, I dont think you'll notice a difference on the braided lines except when you're walking up to the front of ur bike

good call. i just hit 30,000km. probably time to change that fluid. oops.

gixxstar

05-16-2007, 10:18 AM

The one thing you'll notice the most is more aggressive brake pads. It helps to run over the rotors with emery or a rotor hone to help with the bed in. The brake fluid and a clean of the calipers and pistons doesn't hurt while it's apart. After that, I'd do the lines, then the master, then the rotors, then the calipers. Enjoy. :)

michael

05-16-2007, 01:10 PM

One often overlooked task is replacing your little air cap with a chrome one.
Small but often deadly over sight.

Waaaay, too much time looking at Harley's.
On this forum, you need to replace the air cap with a carbon fiber piece.
:laughing

SkydiveSonic

05-16-2007, 03:01 PM

Stick an R1 front end on there - 320mm discs with radial brembo brakes - good stuff :)

snowshark84

05-16-2007, 06:15 PM

these things have brakes?

TeeTee

05-16-2007, 11:46 PM

Geez, it looks like comedy central from some of those posts.... :D

Libby, swapping lines will give your lever a firmer lever feel but won't help you stop faster or with less finger pressure. That is. it won't help provided your old lever is not pulling back like a sponge and touching your grip or fingers. Provided this isn't happening the lines are just for looks and to some extent to make the lever feel a little less spongy.

Be warned that not all line swaps will result in this firmer lever feel. Brake lines on bikes from the last 10 years are actually very damn good. Much of the lever squish you are feeling is actually the master cylinder and caliper seals deforming under the pressure involved. On some bikes you won't feel any improvement in the lever unless you actually change out the other components as well. How far you go depends on what you're trying to achieve.

To stop at the same rate but with less lever force you need pads that have a higher bite on the rotors. That's where the EBC HH pads or other similar type pads come in. The material has a higher initial friction coefficient that'll let you stop your bike with less finger pressure. However along with this comes the risk of overgrabbing the lever in a bit of a panic and putting on too much pressure which can lead to the pads snatching at the rotor and possbily locking the front wheel. You'll need to learn how to be more gently in your normal braking as well as not EVERY panicing and snatching at the lever.

There's also the matter of linearity of how the pads grab the rotor. I've had HH pads on three of my streetbikes now and love them for the linear build up of braking force to lever pressure. I find that for me it's very linear and controllable. But it took me a while to adjust to the initial grab.

Also swapping lines will mean bleeding the brakes. There's a couple of writeups that are only a Search function away. Read them and decide if that sort of work is in your skill set. Otherwise get a shop to do the work.